


Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

by PorcupineGirl



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: F/M, Jossed, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-10-27
Updated: 2008-10-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 05:52:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcupineGirl/pseuds/PorcupineGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin comes back from Japan and settles into the kind of relationship even Barney Stinson can approve of. Set during Season 4, departs from canon after S4E04: Intervention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic that I wrote back in October 2008, during Season 4. Just getting around to moving it from ff.net to here. And since I hate most of Season 5, especially what they did with Barney & Robin's relationship, this is my headcanon.

Ted pulled out his ringing phone and checked the caller ID.

"Hey guys, good news, it's Robin!"

His friends around the bar table all grinned as he answered it, although Lily was worried. Robin talked to them all through Skype a couple of times a week - international calls were expensive, why would she be bothering with Ted's cel? As Ted's face fell, she knew she was right to be worried.

"Are you sure? It's that bad? Really? Wow, we had no idea... Yeah, you have. Robin, why didn't you say anything sooner? ... Look, don't worry about that, I've got an extra bedroom now that Lily and Marshall are gone. I know that's a little awkward but just until you find a new place."

The grins were nowhere to be found as the other three exchanged looks of shock and confusion. Robin had only been in Japan for a month. She couldn't be planning to come home already? Ted hung up the phone and they all looked to him eagerly, awaiting news.

"Wow. So, apparently Robin is really, really unhappy with this new job. She's been pretending it was great so we wouldn't worry, but it sounds like she's basically stuck on the same Metro News One crap stories. Yesterday she was interviewing twelve-year-olds dressed as their favorite anime characters." They all winced, and Lily interrupted.

"But she's always dreamed of living in another country! Even if she's not working this job, she doesn't want to leave, does she?"

"Actually, no, she doesn't really. But she didn't check the visa requirements before she quit, and apparently she can't just go and get another job. She has three days to get out of the country. She's got a flight booked back to New York tomorrow."

"Wow, that sucks hard," Marshall said, shaking his head. "Nice of you to let her move in, dude."

"Well, it's not like I have a choice, right? What kind of person could turn away a friend when they're living alone in a two-bedroom apartment? Sure, it'll be kinda weird if either of us has anyone over, but it's just temporary. We're adults."

Lily realized that Barney had been oddly quiet the entire time. She glanced his way and saw that while the rest of them looked sullen at the news of Robin's crushed dreams, Barney looked stunned... but with just the hint of a smile. Lily realized that this cloud might have a silver lining after all and grinned to herself.

\---

Lily answered the door to she and Marshall's new apartment to find Barney standing in the hallway. Not for long, though, as he brushed past her hurriedly and began pacing her living room.

"Talk me down, Lily!"

She watched him pace for a moment, her mouth agape. "Is... this about Robin?"

He stopped suddenly in front of her and grabbed her shoulders. "This is about Barney Stinson being in grave, grave, danger, Lily. If I can't harness the power of my awesome and take control back from these damn feelings, I may do something I will regret. When I see Robin this afternoon, I don't know what will happen. If I'm lucky, I'll look at her, realize I feel nothing and never did and all will be well. But if I look at her and see the same incredible, beautiful, intelligent, witty, cigar-smoking, laser-tag-playing angel that's been haunting my dreams for the past month..." His eyes glazed over as he stared into the distance. A quick tap on the cheek from Lily brought him back. "You see? You see what happens? I can't control myself. And if I lose control, terrible, terrible things will happen, Lily."

She took his hands from her shoulders and pushed him gently down onto the couch. "You don't know that. She may feel the same. And being in a relationship isn't as terrible as you think. I do think that maybe you could be a little... calmer, when you see her. But it's going to be okay. And if she doesn't feel the same way, at least you'll know and you can get past it"

"Not her, Lily, not her. It's not about her. Lily..." He looked at her pleadingly, "I can't lose Ted."

"What?"

"Last time he de-broed me just for sleeping with her! Can you imagine what he'd do if he knew I felt this way, let alone if I went on a date with her? I can't do it, Lily, I can't risk living a broless life!"

Lily sat down in the armchair exasperatedly. "Barney, that was totally different. Sleeping with someone you can control. You can't control your feelings for her, or her feelings for you, if she has any. Ted will understand, and if he doesn't - I'll _make_ him. But it's a good point, you should probably talk to him before you make a move. _If_ you ever decide to make a move."

"I can't tell Ted about this!"

"He's probably going to find out eventually. If nothing else, if you keep this up I'm probably going to crack and tell Marshall, and you know Marshall can't keep anything from Ted."

"Fine. IF - and that is a big if - I ever decide to pursue Robin, I will talk to Ted first. I'm sure that must be in the bro code somewhere, clear it with your bro before you declare your love for his ex. Which means it's not going to happen, so this is all moot." His face suddenly crumbled and he began to whine, "But what do I do in the airport, Lily? When she steps through that security gate with all that shiny hair and soft skin and boobs."

Lily sighed. "Look, I'll be right there. If you look like you're about to make a fool out of yourself, I'll give you a pinch or a kick or something. If it gets really bad, claim you need to pee and get yourself together in the bathroom."

"You know I have to go in the bathroom after I get a good look at Robin, what up!"

Lily rolled her eyes and gave him a half-hearted high five.

\---

A week and a half later, Ted answered his door to find an odd couple standing behind it.

"Uh, hey, guys... Marshall's not with you?" He waved them in and headed to the kitchen to grab drinks.

"Nope, just me and your best friend Barney!" Lily chirped, a little too cheerily. Barney gave him a nervous-looking smile and wave. Ted handed them each a beer and sat down, watching them warily.

"I'm just going to skip past the part where I try to act normal and you two keep acting weird and things just get more and more awkward and cut straight to the What's going on?"

Barney's hand slipped as Ted asked this, spilling a bit of beer on his tie. As he wiped at it he laughed nervously. "Going on. Nothing's going on, Ted. We can't stop by without there being something going on? Boy Ted, I hate to say it, but you're really getting paranoid in your old age. Robin's not home, is she?"

"Nah, she's at another audition. She'll probably be back in an hour or so. Were you looking for her?"

"NO!" Barney jumped up, looking offended. "I can't believe you would accuse me of looking for your ex-girlfriend, Ted! What kind of friend do you think I am? Lily, I don't think I can take this kind of abuse, I'm leaving."

Lily jumped up and grabbed his arms as he headed for the door and guided him back to his chair. She pushed him down easily, a defeated look on his face, and turned to Ted.

Lily slipped into her best Kindergarten Teacher Voice. "Ted, Barney has something he wants to talk to you about. And although this thing is a _good_ thing, and a _happy_ thing, and there's no chance you'll be mad about this thing, I think that it would be nice if you could tell Barney that he's your bro for life before he starts."

" _Good_ and _happy_? Barney, what the hell did you do? Did you wreck my car? God damn it, Barney, I thought you threw away those keys you made! Did you have another set hidden somewhere?"

Barney latched onto this all too eagerly. "Your car! That's right, I totaled it. Smashed to bits. Boy, was it -"

"He did _not_ wreck anyone's _car_ ," Lily growled, glaring at Barney out of the corner of her eye. "Trust me, Ted, after that this will sound like nothing. Just tell him you won't de-bro him so he can calm down and spit it out."

Ted looked from Lily to Barney tensely. "I won't de-bro you, Barney. Whatever it is, you're my bro for life. Really. Though I reserve the right to not speak to you for up to two months."

"Fair enough." Lily said, "Now, Barney, what do you have to tell Ted?"

Barney stared at his feet and mumbled something unintelligible. Lily kicked his foot, but he only repeated the mumble a tiny bit more loudly.

"Oh for fuck's sake, do I have to do everything myself?" She sat down on the couch next to Ted, irritated. "Ted, Barney's been too scared to tell you this, but..." Her face softened and she put a hand on his knee, "He's in love with Robin!" She grinned excitedly.

Ted's face was a mixture of confusion and anger. "So... He's trying to get me to say he can sleep with Robin again? That's what all this is about? He wants to bang my ex-girlfriend _again_?"

"Nonononono!" Lily rushed to calm him. "I know it's hard to accept, but... Barney has real feelings for her! This is a big step for him, Ted, he's actually admitting that he wants to do more than sleep with a girl! He honestly cares about her!"

Ted turned his puzzled expression to Barney. "Is this true?"

Barney only nodded, but his forlorn expression said everything for him. A grin began to spread on Ted's face.

"That's great! Wow. That's awesome, Barney. She's right, this is a really big step for you. Our little playa is growing up!" His face darkened, "You break her heart and I will break your neck, Stinson." Ted looked back at Lily and the grin returned. "Really, I'm happy for him. I have no idea if she feels the same way, but I think it's great that he sees at least one woman as more than a warm vagina."

Barney finally broke his silence. "Ted! I see _every_ woman I take home as more than a warm vagina! Those women have mouths, and boobs, and tight butts, and I will not have you disrespect them in that way." He paused, looked unsure of himself. "You're really not mad? Really?"

"No, I'm really not." He noticed that Lily had pulled out her cel phone and was dialing. "Who you calling?"

"Oh, Marshall. I've been keeping this secret for nearly two months and I will _explode_ if I go another five minutes without telling him!"

\---

Robin settled down on the couch with a mug of apple cider and a guilty-pleasure celebrity gossip rag, feeling accomplished. That morning she'd gone to an interview that she felt very good about, and she'd spent the afternoon emailing her thanks to the producers, then cleaning up around the apartment. It had been a little odd at first, living with Ted when the last time they'd talked about moving in together had ended with their breakup. But the past was the past, and they made pretty good roommates, truth be told. She was actually thinking of asking him if he'd be interested in keeping the arrangement even after she had a job.

At the moment Ted came home from work, though, she wasn't thinking about that - no, she was seriously pondering the latest Brangelina shenanigans when Ted walked through the door. Important stuff.

"Hey, how'd that audition go this morning?" he asked as he hung up his jacket.

"Actually, I think it went really well. I got along great with everyone on set, the producers seemed to like me. I think I've got a shot!"

"Awesome! Let me know when you hear about it." He headed into the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. By the time he returned to the living room, Robin was once again engrossed in her magazine. She didn't seem to notice as he sat down at the other end of the couch with an uncomfortable look on his face. She continued not to notice as he opened his mouth several times to say something to her, only to stop each time. Resigned, he took a bite of his sandwich and flipped through his own magazine lying on the coffee table. After a few minutes, he finally managed to speak.

"So, hey, you remember that time you, uh, you, y'know, slept with Barney?" Ted was not nearly as good at feigning nonchalance as he believed himself to be.

Robin didn't look up from her magazine. "Nope."

Oh. This was going to be harder than Ted thought. He laughed nervously, "Sure you do, come on, you remember, I got all pissed, didn't speak to Barney for a while..."

"Sorry, I don't remember such an event taking place."

"Robin, come on. You remember the time you slept with Barney."

"Hmm-mmm." She seemed to be reading the magazine a bit more forcefully now, if one can be said to read forcefully.

"Oh. Okay. Well, so, you never slept with Barney, right?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"Huh, well, that's too bad."

She finally glanced at him, just briefly. "Why would that be too bad? Sounds like a good thing to me."

"But, see, we learn from our mistakes in life, right? And so if you've never slept with Barney in the past, then that means you never had the opportunity to learn from that particular mistake. Which means you might repeat it - or, sorry, commit it for the first time - in the future. See, Robin, I'm just trying to look out for you -"

She looked up from her reading, annoyed. "Ted, did you and Marshall have yet another Back to the Future marathon? Because I swear, if you're about to tell me that I need to go back in time and prevent Past Robin from ever sleeping with Barney -"

"Aha! So Past Robin did sleep with Barney!"

She sighed and put down her magazine. "Fine, Ted. Yes. She did. I did. So what, is it my turn? Are you going to get pissed at me now for something that happened months ago?"

"What? No! No, I'm not pissed at you. I just... I was just, you know, I wanted to know how you felt about it. If you were okay with everything."

She stared at him, confused. "Ted. It happened like _six months_ ago. I'm fine. I'm way past it. Way, way past it. Why on earth would you dredge that up now just to ask how I'm _feeling_ about it?"

Ted sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Look, it's just that all this time I've been reconnecting with Barney and everything, I've realized that I was a pretty shitty friend to _both_ of you right then. Mostly to him, but you too. The whole thing must have been weird for you, and I was so obsessed with punishing Barney that I totally ignored you. So I wanted to make up for that. And seriously? You can't be that far past it if you're still denying it. _Vehemently_ , I might add." He gave her a small smile, which she returned. "So what's up?"

"Okay," Robin said slowly. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and curled herself up facing Ted. She wasn't sure that she really wanted to talk about this with Ted, but she realized that it actually would feel good just to say it out loud to someone. She guessed she'd assumed that it would be over girl talk with Lily, but it looked like it would be girl talk with Ted instead - and maybe that was okay. They were roomies, they could share. "Well, right afterwards, I was a little annoyed at Barney. I felt like it was almost my duty to be pissed at him for taking advantage of me - Simon had just broken my heart, I was all vulnerable and sad - any random girl Barney comes across like that, he's going to get her into bed. But I just couldn't get mad at him. And I started to realize that I really didn't feel taken advantage of. In fact, I started feeling like _I'd_ taken advantage of _him_."

Ted raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt.

"I know, I know, but come on. You know Barney is a great friend. A really, really... _good friend_ , you know? Whatever he is with random chicks he picks up in bars, with us, he's there for you. He's got your back. And that night, he totally had my back. He didn't make any advances - _I_ invited _him_ up, I even tempted him with that video and I knew he couldn't resist that."

"Video?"

"Um, yeah. Nothing exciting, just something I found online - Anyhow, I meant to repay him for his kindness by showing it to him, but afterward I started to wonder if really I'd been trying to get him home all along. He's too good a friend, he wouldn't have said no to anything that night, just to make me feel better! Plus, I know Barney and I know that Barney is going to be Barney no matter where he is or who he's with - once there was a hot, willing girl with him, he wasn't going to turn her down, even if she was me. As for me, I was really down and maybe needing something to prove to myself that I was attractive and worthy of love... and I used Barney to get that. And I'll admit, it worked." She shrugged and continued, "But then, once I'd realized all that, I couldn't really deal with it. I mean, the idea of _me_ being the one to take advantage of _Barney_ just kinda made my head implode a little, y'know?"

"Yeah, actually, I know exactly what you mean. Implode, yeah." Ted looked a bit dazed.

"So, yeah, I just kinda went into denial. I dunno if it's guilt, or just trying to keep things simple in my head. But there you go."

"There you go. Wow, I really never would have looked at it that way."

"Yeah, tell me about it. You can see why I'm still weirded out six months later."

"But you're cool with Barney now? You guys don't seem awkward or anything."

"Oh, yeah, totally! I mean, as long as I keep myself in denial. So now that we've had this little chat I'm probably just going to tuck that back into the dark corners of my head where it belongs and pretend it doesn't exist some more." She smiled at him brightly.

"Have you talked to Barney about it at all?"

"What? Oh God no. I mean, what would I say? Sorry for having completely consensual sex with you?"

"Not an apology. More like... thanking him. For being there for you, for letting you take advantage of him and giving you what you needed that night. Not just the sex."

Robin laughed nervously. "Come on, Barney doesn't go in for that kind of sappy bullshit. That's not what sex is about for him, and he _definitely_ doesn't want to hear it from the girls he sleeps with."

"No, but I think he'd want to hear it from a friend. I think he'd want to hear it from you."

Something about the way Ted had separated her out from the "friend" category made Robin suddenly nervous, even embarrassed. Visibly flustered, she put her magazine back on the coffee table and started to take her mug back to the kitchen. "Well, you know, maybe. I don't know. This was weird, Ted. I don't know if I'm ready for more weird with Barney." She stopped and looked back at him from the kitchen. "But thanks for making me talk. It does feel a little better to have it out there."

\---

A week and a half later, Robin flipped open her cel phone. "Hey Barney, what's up?"

"Suit up, Scherbatsky!"

"For real? What's the occasion?"

"I'm expected to make an appearance at a little shindig for work tonight, and I think you might enjoy it. Catering by Peter Luger's."

"Yow, that is some _steak_! What time?"

"I'll be by to get you at 6:30."

Two hours later, Robin was wearing the new suit she'd bought for auditions - deep purple, perfectly tailored, and since this wasn't an audition, paired with a matching corset top instead of a button-down shirt. Laced on the loose side, of course - had to save room for that steak.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the one-word text message - "Downstairs" - before heading for the door. Ted had already gone over to Marshall and Lily's to watch Star Wars.

When she got to the street, she was surprised to find Barney holding open the door to a limo.

"Nice ride," she said appreciatively as she slid in. "Work's springing for all this?"

He climbed in after her. "You know it. This is a _very_ important engagement, and they need to make a good - an _excellent_ \- impression. So of course they're sending me."

"So tonight is mostly work? No time for a little fun if I manage to find you a cutie at the bar?" she grinned.

"Actually, as much as it pains me to say it, I won't be taking any girls home tonight. This soiree is only the first installment - I get on a flight to London at 5AM tomorrow to finish things up. My bag's already packed, and this limo will be taking me right to the airport at 2:30."

"Holy crap. How long will you be in London?"

"Oh, if what I've got to do there isn't done in the first eight hours, it won't be happening at all. My flight back is Sunday morning."

"Wow, crazy weekend. So what is it, like, a sales meeting? Do you need to go close a deal?"

"Sales? Robin, please. You really think I'm a salesman?"

"Barney, I have absolutely no clue what you might or might not be."

"Besides awesome, you mean?"

"Besides awesome."

He pulled a bottle of wine from the mini-bar and poured them each a small glass. As Robin sat sipping it and watching the city pass by the window, she decided that Ted was probably right, and that now was as good a time as any to swallow her pride. If it didn't taste good, well, at least there would be steak soon to cover it up.

She leaned back in the seat and looked over at him. He grinned at her over his glass of wine, and she realized that he _was_ a really, really good friend and she _did_ owe him. "Thanks, Barney."

"Don't thank me yet, you haven't even had dinner!"

"Not for tonight. I mean, yeah, thanks for inviting me out tonight, definitely, it sounds like it'll be great. But back when... y'know... the night Simon dumped me? Thanks for that."

"Wow. I don't think I've ever actually had a woman _thank_ me for sex before... How good do you think it would have to be to get someone to write me an actual thank-you note? Because that would be _crazy awesome_."

She laughed. "Not for the sex. I mean, yes, for the sex, but not because it was sex. Because... you were there for me, Barney. You gave me what I needed -"

"Hells to the yeah I did, what up!"

She giggled again as she gave him a high five. She was half curled up in the seat now, fully facing him, feeling good and comfortable and happy to be talking to him. "You know what I mean, Barney. You didn't have sex with me just because I was a hot, half-drunk, desperate girl. You had sex with me because you were my friend and you knew it would make me happy. _And_ I was a hot, half-drunk, desperate girl. Big difference. Thanks."

He had a distinctly goofy grin on his face by this time. "Anytime, Scherbatsky. And I mean that for both the being there for you thing and the sex thing. Seriously, anytime you wanna get that on again, you just give me a call -"

She laughed and pushed his face away from her. "Would it be weird if I said you were my best friend?"

"Weird? That would be awesome!"

"You're my best friend, Barney." She reached over and gave his thigh a short squeeze, the quickly pulled her hand away and blushed a little. What was that? That's not what you do to your best friend. Best friends get squeezed on the shoulder, maybe on the knee, but her hand had been quite a bit higher than the knee. She hadn't finished half a glass of wine yet, maybe she needed to be careful.

Barney didn't seem to have noticed. His gaze hadn't left her face. Maybe she was overthinking this? "You know what? Don't tell Ted this, but you're my best friend, too."

With perfect timing, the limo stopped outside a lavishly landscaped building, and they made their way toward a legendary steak dinner.

\---

Several hours later, they were full of absolutely excellent food and, in Robin's case, quite a bit of scotch and champagne. Barney had gone lightly on the open bar - alcohol and airplanes didn't quite agree with him. After dinner, Barney had gone into a back room for a half hour with two men who spoke only Mandarin - actually, basically everyone at this event was either a middle-aged Chinese businessman or the 20-year-old blonde floozy he'd brought with him. Robin felt a little out of place, but didn't let that slow down her awesome. When Barney got back, he assured her that the business had gone well and they set out for the dance floor.

Now it was 1:30 and she was just a little unsteady in her heels as they headed toward the door.

"You are a _great_ dancer, Barney. I am so worn out. Are you worn out?"

"I'm a little tired, but I've got a long flight to nap on. Let's get you home, Scherbatsky."

As they stood waiting for the limo to get back from the parking garage, she shivered a bit. He put his arm around her to keep her warm, and she grinned up at him mischievously. Without warning, she grabbed his lapels and pulled him down into a kiss.

Barney was definitely not prepared for this. Unprepared enough that he let the kiss go on for quite a while, even pulling her closer, before he finally came to his senses and broke away.

"Robin, I have a plane to catch -"

"Not for another hour! C'mon, that's plenty of time." She lowered her voice to a very loud stage whisper. "Barney, not many people know this, but I get _really horny_ when I'm drunk." She slid her arms around his waist, "And I am _so_ drunk right now."

 _Exactly,_ Barney thought. This was just painful. The one thing he'd really, really, really been wanting, but like this? If she were just tipsy, sure, but he had a feeling she wasn't even going to remember any of this. She wasn't drunk, she was wasted. He realized his hands had wandered to her ass on their own accord, and he quickly jerked them up to her shoulders. Luckily, the limo pulled up just then.

He helped her in, then slid in next to her - and her hands immediately went to places he really wished they wouldn't go right then. He carefully extracted them. "Scherbatsky, come on. Don't tempt me like this. You know I'm weak. And let's be honest here, you are so far gone you'd probably pass out in the middle-" He realized that already, her head was on his shoulder and she was dozing off. He sighed and put his arm around her.

He gazed down at her face, brushing her hair back for a better view. After a minute, she shifted and snuggled close in to his chest. "Love you, Barney," she mumbled, wrapping her arm around him, "You're my bestestest friend."

He smiled. Dear _God_ he wished she wasn't so drunk. "Love you too, Scherbatsky," he whispered. He knew she wouldn't even remember it in the morning, and she hadn't meant it the same way he did anyhow, but he felt a little thrill inside at getting to say it, anyhow. Maybe _especially_ since he knew she wouldn't remember in the morning - it was like getting a no-risk trial run.

\---

Robin made so much noise stumbling into the door that Ted woke up and came out to see what was going on. She kicked off her heels and wandered over to him.

"Teeeeeeeed," she whined, "Why won't Barney sleep with meeee?"

" _What?_ "

"I'm drunk and I'm horny and Barney totally dissed me! Barney doesn't not have sex with _anyone_!" She stopped and struggled to focus on his face. "Hey... do _you_ wanna have sex? I'm pretty horny. Mama needs some sugar."

"I think what mama needs is a nice tall glass of water and some sleep. Go change into your pajamas." Robin pouted, but did as she was told. When she came out of the bedroom, Ted handed her a glass of water. "Drink the whole thing before you fall asleep. I don't want to hear about your hangover tomorrow."

"Ted? Why do you think Barney wouldn't sleep with me?"

"Because he's your friend, Robin. No friend would ever have sex with you in this state. Good night."

"Night, Ted."

\---

The next morning, Robin opened one eye groggily. She saw a half a glass of water sitting on her bedside table... Shoot... She vaguely remembered Ted telling her to drink all of that. She gulped down the rest of it and sunk back into her pillow, pulling the blanket up over her head to block the light coming in the window.

Man, how much _did_ she drink last night? The scotch was so good with the steak, and that champagne... And dancing with Barney was always fun, he was a great dancer. And since he wasn't looking to get laid, he'd actually stuck with her the whole night, it was kinda nice... How did she get home? Things got fuzzy after the dancing... They must have taken the limo, right? That's right, the limo was parked at a garage down the street, and they went outside and waited and...

"Ohhhh _God_ ," she moaned. Had she really been that desperate? No, not desperate. Just beyond sloshed. You know it's bad when _Barney_ turns you down. She had to admit, she was proud of him for it... not so proud of herself. She struggled to remember the ride home, hoping she hadn't made a bigger fool of herself. She knew she'd dozed off at some point... She remembered her drunken declaration of love (really, how much of a walking cliche do you have to be to throw yourself at a guy and then tell your best friend how much you loooooove them?) and covered her face with her hands. But... did she imagine it, or did she have a faint memory of him saying it back? Aw. He could really be a cutie when he wanted to be. What did she ever do to deserve a friend like him?

A half hour later, she shuffled out of her bedroom to get another glass of water. Ted was already up and dressed, and he paused his video game when she appeared.

"Hey! How you feeling?"

"Like shit," she grumbled from the kitchen. She shuffled toward the bathroom with her glass of water. Ted waited, worried about why she might have been headed there - but she came out a minute later with a wet washcloth, which she laid over her forehead as she flopped down next to him on the couch.

"Sooooo... Sounded like you had fun last night. Maybe not as much fun as you _wanted_ to have..."

"Shut up, Ted," she groaned. "I feel stupid enough already, okay? Nothing happened."

Ted laughed, "Oh, I _know_ nothing happened. You made it quite clear that, much to your dismay, nothing at all happened. I don't think I've seen you that hammered in a very, very long time. If ever. What happened? Besides, y'know, nothing."

"Actually, most of the night was great. They had the best scotch I've ever tasted, and oh my God, Ted, the champagne. Dom Perignon has nothing on this stuff. I heard one of the bartenders tell someone that only 500 bottles of that year were created, and out of the 200 still in existence, they had 100 of them at this party. Seriously. And I pretty much drank a whole one."

"Wow. You drank .2% of all of that champagne that has ever existed. No wonder you were so trashed."

"I know, right?" She grinned at him from under her washcloth. The aspirin she'd taken in the bathroom was starting to kick in a little. "And just hanging out with Barney all night, that's always a blast. Oh, and we had that talk. Before I was drunk, I mean. On the way there."

"Really? That's great, how'd it go?"

"It went... awesome." The satisfied smile on her face as she closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch made Ted's stomach jump. Was there another reason she wanted to sleep with Barney that night? Did he tell her? Did she feel the same way? Were they dating? He had to know!

"Like... awesome how? What'd he say?" Ted hoped that his calm exterior wasn't betraying the little girl jumping up and down inside him.

She laughed a little, but kept her eyes closed. "It sounds a little silly to say it, but I told him he's my best friend. And he said I'm his. I guess we need to get matching broken-heart BFF necklaces now, eh?"

"Best... friends! Well... that's cool! That's awesome."

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't supposed to tell you." She leaned in toward him a bit to whisper conspiratorially, "You might get jealous of me, since you think you're his best friend."

Ted laughed. "I promise not to beat you up over him. And not just because I probably couldn't beat you up."

\---

Robin had retreated to her bedroom with a cup of coffee. She picked up her phone with a sigh and sent him a text message. _Thanks for a great night. Sorry I was such an ass at the end._

To her surprise, the reply came only a minute or two later. _You need to learn your limits, Scherbatsky. Only half a bottle next time. Two glasses if you're having the scotch._ She laughed. _Think I learned my lesson. Thanks for putting up with me. You're the best._

 _I know. Meeting's starting, TTYL_ Barney put his iPhone away and glanced around the meeting room. He was with businessmen from China, England, Germany, and Russia, along with one very severe-looking woman from Egypt. They all looked so serious, but he had a hard time wiping the dopey grin off his face.

\---

Two hours later, Robin was showered, dressed, and beyond her hangover. She didn't have much else to do that day, so she was watching Ted play his video game. It was confusing, but she'd figured out it had something to do with an alien. She was pretty sure Ted was the alien, but wouldn't swear to it.

"So," Ted started as he kicked non-alien butt, "You and Barney are BFFs now?"

"Well, officially now," she grinned, "I think we've been pretty close for a while though, y'know?"

"So this guy is your best friend, and you want to sleep with him."

"I _what_? Ted, I was drunk. I do _not_ want to sleep with Barney!"

"Oh come on, Robin. The alcohol just lowers your inhibitions, right? YES!" He saved his game, having killed the next boss, and turned to her. "And from all accounts, it wasn't that bad last time."

"Ted, you're freaking me out a little."

"Okay, fine, have it your way. I'm just saying." He started back into his game.

"Just saying _what_?"

"Just saying that there's a _word_ for best friends who are sleeping together."

She narrowed her eyes. "What word is that?"

"That word is couple."

"Well we're not sleeping together, so it's all good."

"It's all good." Ted hoped he was doing this matchmaking thing right. Was he chasing her away? Maybe next time he should use reverse psychology. Maybe he was supposed to say she _didn't_ want to sleep with Barney. He was going to have to ask Lily.

\---

They went to a cafe down the street for a late lunch. Robin had (nearly) forgotten Ted's little comments earlier.

While they were waiting for their food, she sighed. "He really is a great guy, you know. He's been there for me over and over, and what have I ever done for him? I need to do something special for Barney. To show him how much I appreciate his friendship. Including his not sleeping with me last night. What do you think I should do? What kind of gift says 'Thanks for being my best friend, and not taking advantage of me when I was drunk out of my mind even though I know you had to be pretty tempted'?"

Ted bit his tongue before he could say what he was thinking, which was _Sleep with him_. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought. This was a delicate situation. It was the perfect opportunity to gently nudge her in the right direction, but he didn't seem to be very good at that. What Would Lily Do? Would she handle this as Kindergarten Teacher Lily? Or maybe Drill Sergeant Lily?

"Hm," he grunted as he ate a french fry that had just arrived. He decided to go with the honest approach. He chose his words carefully: "I think Barney would want what anyone would want. To spend time with his best friend."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. I know we have fun as a group, but you know how... not jealous... _covetous_ he is of me and Marshall's relationship. I think he really wishes he had someone he could spend a lot of one-on-one time with. And I think you're the closest he's had to that, and he'd appreciate getting a lot more of it."

She smiled. "I guess you're right. We do need to just hang out more. I wonder what he's doing next weekend. Thanks, Ted." Her grin morphed into a look of confusion. "When did you turn into my personal advisor, anyhow?"

"I... have no idea. But hey, you can pay me back soon enough. I think I'm over Stella enough to jump back into the dating pool, I'm gonna need no end of romantic advice."

"Oh thank God, does this mean you're going to shave?"

\---

Sooner than anyone expected, it was Thanksgiving. Or, more precisely, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Lily and Marshall were visiting his family, and Ted was out on his first second date since Stella had left.

Robin had done just as Ted had suggested, and it was great - she and Barney were having a ton of fun. They'd seen a dozen movies and two musicals (who knew that Barney had a secret thing for Andrew Lloyd Webber?). They'd gone to at least four or five nightclubs that they knew neither Ted nor Marshall could ever get into (maybe Lily, in the right outfit). Drove to Atlantic City for the weekend - without booking a hotel room in advance, on the assumption that they could both find places to stay, one way or another... oddly, that was one of the few times that she'd seen Barney go home with a girl in the past couple of months. Robin enjoyed being wingwoman, but lately more often than not Barney had some kind of excuse. He claimed that because of the current situation at work, he was taking a lot of 3AM conference calls with partners in Asia. Now and then she'd present him with a girl he couldn't resist, but it couldn't have been more often than once a week... and maybe not at all for two weeks now.

Barney opened the door to his apartment and gallantly held it while Robin entered first. They'd just finished their Saturday afternoon laser tag session, which was becoming quite the weekly tradition. She flopped down on the couch.

"Ugh. I'm exhausted and STARVING. Since no one else is around, you wanna just order a pizza? We could watch a movie or something. What have you got around here besides porn?"

"If you will turn your attention to the bottom two shelves of the porn corner, you will find my Awesome Movie Collection. It is not only an awesome collection of movies, it is also a collection of awesome movies." He led her over to it and knelt down to show her the details. "Here you will find movies shelved alphabetically by awesomeness: Bruce Lee before Chuck Norris before Sean Connery."

"Connery comes before Lee."

"These men have achieved such heights of awesome that their names have become a single term. Take your pick while I call in our order."

A few minutes later, Robin wandered back into the living room. "What's this one wrapped in black paper? It was in Sean Connery."

Barney's face became grave. "Ohh. That, dear Robin, is _Zardoz_. While I couldn't let my collection remain incomplete, this movie mars the memory of all other Sean Connery films. It must live its life in shame."

Robin's eyes lit up. "Oooh, that bad? Can we watch it?"

"No. And we must never speak of it again." He returned the DVD to the shelf. Robin was disappointed, but finally settled on _A Bridge Too Far_.

\---

Three hours later, a single slice of pizza was left and the credits began to roll. Robin sighed contentedly, then suddenly became aware of several things at once. First was her head on Barney's shoulder. Second was his arm wrapped around _her_ shoulders. A minute ago, these things had seemed perfectly normal and natural, and even now they didn't seem _bad_ , she was just... very _aware_ of them. The third thing she noticed was how Barney smelled - clean and crisp and masculine. No cologne, and any sweat from the laser tag had faded away. She just smelled... _him_.

She looked up and found him gazing back down at her. He squeezed her shoulders and wiggled his eyebrows. "You ready for some Bruce Lee?"

She grinned and touched his tie. "I'm ready for something," she murmured. She took the remote out of his hand and turned off the TV, then turned back to him. "I need you to know something," she said.

He regarded her with a slight smile. "What's that, Scherbatsky?"

"I need you to know... that I am happy. That I have not had anything to drink today, no one has dumped me recently, things are going great at my new job, and I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else."

"That's good to hear," he said, looking a little puzzled.

"So anything that I might choose to do tonight - for example, watching this movie. I didn't decide to watch this movie because I was drunk, or because I was desperate, or trying to fill some void that shouldn't really be filled by a movie. I watched it because I felt like watching a movie. With you." She moved a little closer, playing with the tie. "And if we were to do anything else tonight - watch another movie, say - I would be doing it purely because I wanted to do it. With you."

Barney's breathing had gotten heavier, but his expression was hard to read. This was because at that moment, he was utterly terrified, but didn't want her to see it. He wasn't terrified of having sex with Robin - hell no, he was _psyched_ for that - he was just terrified of what he knew he had to do first. But before he could get over his fears, they were kissing.

She was insistent this time, already starting to pull his tie loose, and he knew he had to break in now before they'd gotten past the point of no return. He pulled away. "Robin," he panted, "Before we watch this movie, I need you to know something, too."

"Yeah?" she grinned.

He opened his mouth. His eyes grew wide with terror, then he closed them tight. Robin was very, very confused. Barney decided he just needed to stop thinking about it and see what happened - and that's just what he did. He opened his eyes, saw hers, and stopped thinking entirely. And it just came out. "I am crazy, crazy in love with you."

 _Woah_. Robin wasn't even sure if she'd said that out loud or just thought it. She laid her head down on Barney's chest to give herself time to sort this out.

Barney had had no idea what kind of reaction he might be expecting from her, but out of all the possibilities, he decided that this wasn't a bad one. She'd moved toward him and not away from him, that was a very good sign. He rested his hands on her back and leaned back, eyes closed. He'd done his part. He could give her time to do hers.

Robin quickly realized that it wasn't the content that shocked her, really. The concept, the idea, the sentiment - Barney being in love with her - it didn't actually surprise her. What shocked her was the fact that he'd said it. Just put it out there like that. He'd laid his cards on the table, and it was her move, and she was shocked that he would be so bold and open for her.

Her move. She wasn't even sure what was in her hand! It was like she'd glanced at the cards as they were dealt, then put them down and now that it was her turn she had to scramble to figure out what she had. She'd noticed a few high cards in there, sure, but she'd never taken the time to examine them closely, find out whether she had a royal flush or a full house or just a pair of kings. And then she realized that Barney was waiting there patiently while she wasted time crafting a silly poker metaphor. Time for a more productive train of thought.

She briefly considered the old "I don't want to ruin our friendship" chestnut, but quickly discarded it. After this moment, their friendship as it had existed was over either way. Either they move forward as something more, or it would be a very, very long time (if ever) before they could be close again. Barney had made that decision for her, he'd already put their friendship on the chopping block in the hopes of something even better. Again, shocked at his boldness, and again, not a productive enough train of thought.

She looked up at him with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I think I'm massively overthinking this."

He smiled at the pathetic look on her face. "You're telling me. I just spent _months_ overthinking it. Then five minutes ago, I stopped thinking. It worked pretty well."

She stopped thinking. She breathed him in again. She watched his eyes, and the way he looked at her, and focused on what she felt right then. A slight smile played over her lips. "I love you."

\---

Robin fell asleep fairly quickly afterward. Barney laid there watching her, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It was sex, and sex was awesome, of course. But this time it was like... Like having sex _and_ hanging out with your best friend, all at the same time. It was like there was a totally new layer of fun wrapped around the usual fun. At one point something hadn't been working quite right, and Robin had cracked a joke about it, they laughed, and changed positions. They had _laughed_ during _sex_. Real laughing, not nervous laughter or strained "Yes, bimbo, your jokes are so funny now shut up" laughter. The same way they laugh when they're not having sex. He'd never laughed like that during sex before.

A thought hit him. Did they just... _make love_? He'd definitely never done that before. If that's what it's like, it's pretty cool! And he realized that this was just the tip of the iceberg. He started to think about all the many, many things he'd done with so many, many women... all the positions, all the games, all the dirty or nasty or crazy things. A decade of sexual experiences of every possible flavor. And now he could experience them all again, with this new extra layer added on! Why had no one told him about this? He turned out the light and curled up close to Robin. _I guess I can see why so many people are into this whole love thing._

\---

The next morning, Barney rolled over and reached across the bed to lay his arm across... nothing. He sat up, startled, and looked around his bedroom. _No!_ he thought, _No, she can't just leave me high and dry! She can't just open the door to a whole new universe of incredibly awesome love-sex and then slam it shut again! She can't tell me she loves me and then chicken out like a_ \- He heard someone shuffling around in his kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief, sinking back into his pillow.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the bedroom wrapped in a silk robe, to find Robin pouring two cups of coffee, wearing one of his button-down shirts and, as far as he could tell, nothing else.

"Hey-" she started to hand him a mug when he pulled her into a kiss. Having both hands full of hot coffee, she found it difficult to extract herself. "Mmmmm! Mmmm- _mmmm!_ " she mumbled insistently.

He finally pulled back. "Something to say? Maybe how _awesome_ I was last night?"

"Well, that too, but mostly _watch the coffee_. You wouldn't want your awesome scalded."

He took a cup from her and began to sip. "Robin, please, it'll take a little more than piping hot - _yow_ , Scherbatsky, is this still boiling?"

She smirked as she sat down at his table. "I warned you."

He sat down across from her. "So, uh, it looks like we're not doing the whole make-excuses-hasty-exit-pretend-it-didn't-happen thing... So... What happens instead? I'm kinda new at this."

"Well, I don't know about you, but _I_ certainly worked up an appetite. I was thinking maybe we should go out for brunch -"

" _Brunch?_ "

"Yeah, there's this new place with unlimited french toast, it-"

"Robin, look. I had an _amazing_ time last night. And I want to do it again. Many, many times, preferably starting as soon as I finish this coffee. I love you, I'm not afraid to say it, I don't care who knows it... But I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment right now."

"You... You what? You love me, but you're not ready to take me out to eat? Barney, we go out for dinner all the time. What on earth-"

"But this isn't dinner, Robin. This is brunch. _Ted and Stella_ went out for brunch. _Marshall and Lily_ go out for brunch. Do you notice a pattern? Brunch is a symbol of a long-term, committed relationship. It is a symbol of monogamy and matching sweaters and moving to New Jersey together. Brunch is the opposite of everything that Barney Stinson stands for."

Robin rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how a simple meal - a simple _oh so tasty_ meal - had come to have such cult status among her friends. "Don't be ridiculous. It stands for omelets and french toast and sausage and maple syrup. Just because the long-term committed couples that we know go to brunch doesn't mean that _we_ have to be in a committed relationship to eat it. Not that there aren't worse things that could happen to you than to be in a committed relationship with me, you know! The woman you're supposedly in love with?" She realized that she'd gotten quite loud toward the end and sipped her coffee sheepishly.

"Oh, _great_. So you're saying you only slept with me to try and rope me into a relationship?"

" _Barney!_ " Robin was pissed now. "Let me remind you that _you_ were the one who took it to the "I love you" place. _I_ was just looking for some fun, you're the one who brought feelings into it. And yes, when you pushed me I had to admit, I have, somehow, fallen in love with you. But that doesn't mean that I'm just going to roll over and be treated like one of your bimbos! Why did you say that, Barney? If you're so, so very scared of commitment that you won't even go eat a freaking _omelet_ with me, why did you bother telling me you love me?" She had to feel a little bit bad when she saw the wounded-puppy look on his face - but damn it, this weekend had not gone the way she intended it to go and she needed some answers.

"Robin," he started quietly, "I don't want to treat you like a bimbo. But... I kinda want to keep treating bimbos like bimbos. They're fun. I don't love them. I want to spend a whole lot of time with you, I want to sleep with you over and over again - I will toss my 'Never sleep with the same woman on more than three separate occasions' rule RIGHT out the window for you. I'll even..." he swallowed, "I'll even go eat brunch with you, if it's that important, because you're that important to me. But..."

"You don't know if you're ready for long-term monogamy?"

He raised his hands up in front of his face. "Don't throw your coffee on me!"

She sighed. "No, Barney, it's okay. I'm glad you're being honest. Look, it's not like I want to be tied down, either. You know why Ted and I broke up."

"Because you woke up one morning and suddenly remembered you're a heterosexual female?" He grinned and held his fist out. "Bump it. C'mon, bump it. You know you want to."

She let a grin creep onto her face and bumped his fist. "Well, that too. But mostly because I realized that I didn't want the kind of long-term commitment that Ted did. And I still don't. I've been to Argentina and Japan, but I've got a lot more traveling to do - and I will admit that I enjoy sampling the local flavor." Her eyes lost focus for a second as she remembered the nights with Gael. A dreamy smile played on her lips before she brought herself back to reality. "But Barney, honestly, after last night do you think we can just be friends the way we were two days ago?"

"Well, I don't _want_ to be friends the way we were two days ago, because we weren't having super-awesome love-sex two days ago. Duh."

"Love-sex?"

"Look, Scherbatsky, that's not important. The important thing is... So what the hell do we do?"

Robin looked down at her coffee for a few minutes. "Well, some people have open relationships. Like, you're dating, but you can sleep with whoever you want."

"I'm listening..."

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "But that seems like it could get awkward, y'know? Like, what if one of us is expecting to go home together and the other one doesn't realize it and goes off with some random person? I want at least a little more predictability than that. I think I could actually be okay with you sleeping with bimbos now and then - I mean, it's not like they'll be hotter than me anyhow - but I'd want some warning."

"So I need to say, hey Robin, I'm thinking of bimboing up tonight?"

"Yeah. Or I could say, hey Barney, when I go to Ireland next month I'll be kissing a few blarney stones. And then we could have a Time Out." A smile began to creep over her face, "Yeah. We can be boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're allowed to call Time Out. We should set a few ground rules first - like, we agree at the start how long the Time Out will be. So, for example, I might ask for two weeks when I go out of the country, or you might ask for the weekend sometime. So there's no surprises."

Barney smiled and rubbed his hands together. "I am liking the sound of this! But wait - would I have to tell my bimbo that I have a girlfriend?"

"Hm, should there be a disclosure clause... I don't see any reason to. That would just spoil the fun, right?"

"Of course! Oh oh - what if we're in the middle of a weeklong Time Out, but I am really wanting some maple sugar?"

"Well, I don't see why we _couldn't_ have sex with each other just because we're in a Time Out. But, y'know, hos before bros. Don't want to ruin a Time Out with neediness."

Barney was all business now. "You're right, of course. Sex with the primary partner should be allowed, but not required, during a Time Out. I assume friends and family members of the other party are off-limits?"

"Uh, that's a hell yes. Also, this is just about sex. If either of us starts to develop feelings for someone else, we should really just end it."

"Robin. Please."

"Okay, fine, _I'll_ just follow that rule."

"Ms Scherbatsky, I think we can come to an arrangement here. I'll have my people draw up some documents."

"... Barney, are you a contract negotiator?"

"Please. I will admit, I have participated in a few heated negotiation sessions, but do you really think my job could possibly be summed up with such a simple title?"

She grinned. "So... Does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend?"

He grinned back, and was surprised that he was actually happy to hear those words. "I think it does."

"Awesome. Now can I have my french toast?"

His grin turned sly, as he traced the outlines she created under his shirt with his eyes. "Don't you think we should shower first?"

\---

That evening, Ted, Marshall, and Lily were sitting in their regular booth at MacLaren's.

"We got to see Marshall's new niece while we were in town. She weighed over twelve pounds when she was born," Lily told Ted, a queasy look on her face. She turned to Marshall. "Sweetie, have I ever told you about my deep-seated desire to adopt a needy child from a developing country?"

Before Marshall could reply, Barney and Robin strode up to the table. Ted stood to grab a chair, motioning for them to take the booth seat, but Barney indicated that he needed to use the restroom first.

"Hey, guys, how was your Thanksgiving? And how was that date last night, Ted?" Robin asked as she slid into the booth.

"It was great!" Marshall exclaimed at the same time Lily said, "It was... family."

"You know, interesting you should ask that," Ted said as he settled into his chair. "Because, see, you would have already heard about my date _if you'd been back to the apartment at any point since noon yesterday._ I think maybe _I'm_ not the one with the most interesting story to tell, Miss Scherbatsky. At least you know who I was out with. Did you meet someone last night?"

Robin opened her mouth, unsure what to say, but was saved by Barney sliding into the booth next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders and turned to the others. "Hey guys, long time no see! I hear you had a hot date last night, Ted - was it that chick I set you up with last weekend? She was _smokin'_ , I hope you tapped that."

Robin shifted uncomfortably as the other three simply stared at them, mouths slightly open. Was it really all that obvious, just from an arm around her shoulders? Did Barney never do that normally, just as a friend? Had she given him too big a grin when he did it? Did she look too nervous now? It wasn't that she wanted it to be a secret, but she'd been hoping to tell them rather than have them figure it out from the slightest evidence.

"Come on, Ted, tell me you tapped that."

"You know, I don't know what Ted did last night but I think there may have been tapping going on," Lily answered knowingly, giving Robin a significant look.

Robin blushed, which caused the other three to all break out in hopeful grins. She finally couldn't take it anymore. "You guys! Stop it! Stop looking at us like that!"

"Us?" Ted said asked innocently. "I was just looking at you and looking at Barney. I didn't realize there was an _'us'_ to be looked at. What sort of 'us' might there be, Robin?"

Barney, who had been completely oblivious up to this point, grinned. "Oh yeah! Hey guys, Robin and I are a couple now. Anyhow, Ted, back to this piece of ass. I repeat, and I would like you to focus on answering my question this time: Did. You. Tap. That?"

Ted, Lily, and Marshall all started talking (and, in Lily's case, squealing) at once. "Congrats!" "For real?" "That's so cool!" "It's about time!" "How did it happen?" Robin was surprised at the response - she was expecting something more like shock, not excitement. After all, _she'd_ been pretty shocked.

Lily waved her hands to silence them. "That is _so great_ , you guys. We've all really been rooting for this."

"You have?" Robin was really, really confused now. Barney leaned in and muttered something in her ear. "What? You _all knew_ that he was in love with me? Everybody but me knew about this? I'm really that completely oblivious?"

"More like in denial, we figured," Ted told her as he sipped his beer. Robin couldn't really argue.

Ted finally gave Barney the details of his date (no, there was no tapping, it turns out she'd crossed the hot/crazy line), while Lily pried information out of Robin.

During a lull in the conversation, Barney nudged Robin as he stared over at the bar. "Hey, uh, can we take a one-night Time Out? Like, now?" She followed his gaze to young redhead in a very short skirt. He straightened his tie and began to stand up, but she pulled him back down.

"Barney, no! We agreed no Time Outs for the first two weeks, so we can get used to this thing," she hissed at him, annoyed. She'd somewhat expected this, but not for a couple days at least.

He turned to her, crestfallen, then looked down at his beer. "Great. This is what I get for letting myself get roped into a boring, no fun, sexless... _relationship_." He shuddered.

"Uh, hello? What sexless relationship is this? You're still getting laid tonight," Robin told him, incredulous.

He brightened immediately. "Really?" She nodded, rolling her eyes. "Sweet!"

He turned to the others, putting his arm back around her. "Hey, guys! Haaaaaaaaaave you met my _awesome_ girlfriend, Robin?"

 


End file.
